The other morning, as I was coming into consciousness, I stretched my leg out, in a full stretch like a cat. Ouch! I pulled my muscle and got a cramp that made my calf feel like it was solid cement!
Now each morning, I am more conscious of how I stretch my muscles, and make sure I move about a bit before I have a full on stretch. I work out nearly every day and know the importance of stretching after my muscles are warmed up.
This got me thinking…how important the warm up is and how the deep stretches shouldn't happen until the body is warmed up and worked out.
This simple lesson can be applied to leadership and life.
When we jump in before we we’ve warmed up, we pull a muscle and experience pain. Leadership development is the warm up.
If we put a title of “leader” on someone and expect that with the title comes the knowledge, skill set, and confidence to lead is setting one up for failure. They may not have the warm up but are expected to do the deep stretching that is required with leadership.
Great athletes never do the deep stretch until they are warmed up, and they always do the deep stretch after they work out.
Truly great leaders never stop learning and never stop developing…they are ready for the deep stretch.
How have you warmed up today?
With love,
Maria
Content copyright 2012. Dr. Maria J. Church. All rights reserved.